SONE Aluko says the big-game experience he enjoyed last season has helped him improve as a player.

And it made him something of a marked man in the SPL.

Aluko famously scored in an enthralling draw against Bayern Munich in February during Aberdeen’s UEFA Cup run.

And, as well as locking horns with the Old Firm, he went through a rollercoaster of emotions in the Scottish Cup semi-final, when the Dons crashed 4-3 to Queen of the South.

The Blues loanee says: “Looking back, I felt I did well on the whole. I played in some big games and scored a couple of goals.

“The highlight was that Bayern game, it was an amazing night and the atmosphere was incredible.

“The Celtic and Rangers matches, too, they were great experiences and I enjoyed them, even though sometimes we played badly and lost.

“The lads at Aberdeen made me feel really welcome and that settled me down, and the manager showed a lot of faith in me, which was good for my confidence.”

Bayern crushed Aberdeen 5-1 in the return in the last 32, with Lukas Podolski netting twice.

“They really came at us, they were in a different league that night,’’ said Aluko.

“Their team is full of top players, and we’ve seen how good they are in these European Championships.”

The first leg sticks out though. He added: “I made a bit of a name for myself and attracted a bit of attention so a few defenders did start trying to kick me a bit more.

“The semi-final, at Hampden, the national stadium, was a big disappointment. Every time we attacked it was if we were going to score, every time they attacked it was as if they were going to score - it was such a weird game.”

Aluko helped Aberdeen to a fourth-place finish but, from an individual standpoint, it was the furthering of his footballing education that counted.

“I think one area I definitely improved was my defensive awareness,’’ he said.

“We played a solid 4-4-2 so I had to be disciplined to track back a lot, as well as attack. I wasn’t used to that at Blues. Being up there has definitely made me a better player.”